Lettering instrument



Feb.: 21,1926. l1,571,565 v H.WEDEKIND l LETTERING INSTRUMENT Filed August 51 1925 Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES j 1,571,565 PATENT OFFICE.

I-IUGO WEDEKIND, 0F NUREMBERG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO EUGENE DIETZGEN COMPANY, OIF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LETTERING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 31, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO VEDEKIND, a citizen of Germany, residing at Brunhildstr. 5 9, Nuremberg, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lettering Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pens, especially of the type commonly known as lettering pens, and the general object of the invention is to improv-e the construction by which the thickness of the line may be regulated. In carrying out my invention I provide a plurality of nibs (in the illustrated case, four) -and arrange them about a common longitudinal axis. I also provide means for controlling them simultaneously, the illustrated means being a tapered plunger andscrew mechanism by which it may be made to force them apart. The more specific object-s of theinvention are to provide a pen of this character and also to provide convenient means, and ones which are :finely adjustable, for controlling the position of the plunger and hence the spread of the nibs. Another object is to provide advai'ltageous means by which ink may be supplied to the nib points.

I accomplish my objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 -Vis a side elevation ofthe complete pen.

Figure 2 is an axial section of the pen drawn to an increased scale.

Figure is a. cross section taken on the line 3-*3 Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a view of the nibs and a. portion of the stem, the View looking toward the right in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view looking directly at the point of the pen, that is, looking upward in Figure 2.

Iiikc numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

In the form selected to illustrate the invention the pen has a handle or body 10 which is longitudinally chambered at the center and at the lower end is internally threaded to screw into the threaded eXtension l2 of the stem 14 of the pen. The stem is also longitudinally chainbered at the center and is internally threaded for a portion of its length. A plunger i6 iits slidingly and rotatably within the stem and at Serial No. 53,753.

its lower end is tapered for the purpose hereinafter described.

At its mid portion the stem has an externally threaded section 18 which screws into the internally threaded extension 12 with the result that when the plunger is rotated the tapered lower end will be adjusted longitudinally of the instrument. At the upper end the plunger projects beyond the end of the handle l() and is rotated by means of a cap 20 which is rigidly fastened to the plunger and has a knurled flange 32 to enable the user to rotate the stem readily. It is desirable to form an annular iiange Q-l at the lower end of the cap to lit loosely over the upper end of the handle and impart a finished appearance to the device.

Projecting from the lower en-d of the stem lt are the nibs 26. As here illustrated these are four in number and slotted in such man ner as to form four sections representing the four quarters of a cylinder. In other words, they are grouped symmetric/ally about a common longitudinal axis and have internal shoulders 28 adapted to be enga ged by the tapered lower end of the plm'xger with the result that when the plunger is forced downward the nibs will be forced apart to increase the thickness of the line. For convenience it is desirable that the nibs instead of being straight in line with the rest of the pen be curved as illustrated so that when the handle is held at a convenient slant the nib points will stand approximately vertical.

The two uppermost nibs have recesses 30 formed in their proximate surfaces somewhat above the nib points for containing the marking fluid which I will refer to generically as ink.

According t0 the preferred construction the stem 14: is made of resilient metal and the nibs 2G are integral with it. This facilitates manufacture and gives a neat and workmanlike appearance to the article as a whole. While the design may be varied the one illustrated is advantageous for the bend in the nibs occurs below the shoulders 28. i

will How downward in the space between the nibs, being held vthere and in the recesses by capillary action. To increase the thickness of the line produced by the pen the operator will rotate the. cap 2O in the proper direction to lower the plunger 16. This forces the nibs outward, and as all four nibs are equally engaged and the arrangement is symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal axis, the movement of the nibs will be simultaneous and equalized. To decrease the width 0f the line which the pen will make the cap 2O is rotated in the reverse direction.

It will be noted that the pen is simple in construction and hence easy to manufacture. Furthermore if necessary for cleaning or other purposes the plunger may be entirely withdrawn by simply unscrewing' it, and lifting it out from the stem and handle. No tools of any kind will be required.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pen having four resilient nibs grouped about a common axis and means for forcing them outward away from each other to increase the thickness of the line, said means including a longitudinally movable element located in their midst.

2. A pen having a plurality of resilient nibs grouped about a common axis, a tapered plunger located in their midst for forcing them apart, and threaded means for moving said plunger longitudinally for con` trolling the nibs.

3. A pen having a stein and four nibs eX- tending therefrom and grouped about a common axis, and means for moving all of them simultaneously away from each other to increase the thickness of the line, two of the nibs which normally lie uppermost having recessses in their proximate surfaces for containing the ink.

4. A pen having a plurality of resilient nibs, a` plunger located, in their' midst and movable longitudinally thereof to control their distance apart, and means located on theJ nibs chiefly below the plunger for supplying ink to the nibs. i

5. A pen having a stem and four integral nibs spaced about a common axis and approximating the four quarters of a cylinder when viewed in cross section, a tapered plunger located in the midst of the nibs foi forcing them apart when the plunger is moved downward, the plunger and stem having cooperating threads for controlling the position of the plunger longitudinally and means for rotating the plunger.

HUGO VVEDEKIND. 

